Disk flange attachment to autos and trailers



M. R. THOMPSON. DISK FLANGE ATTACHMENT T0 AUTOS AND TRAILERS.-

APPLICATION FILED JAN. 30,1919.

Patented Sept. 14, 1920.

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awueMtoz wwwzooe-o Mm aumqb UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

MAT ROY THOMPSON, or ciircA LLInoI-s.

DISK FLANGE ATTACHMENT AUTOS AND TRAILERS.

Specification of Letters Patent. I Pate t d S t 14 1920 Application filrd January 30, 1919. Serial No. 274,003.

To all whom it-mag concern:

Be it known that I, MAT ROY THOMPSON, a citizen of the United States, residingat Chicago, in the county of Cook, State of Illinois, have invented a new and useful Disk Flange Attachment to Autos and Trailers; and I do like, and an object of the invention is to pro I vide a device of this kind particularly applicable to wheeled vehicles, whereby they may travel safely along upon railway rails.

A further object of the invention is to provide means for raising and'lowering the disk flange attachment, whereby the vehicle may'travel the rails or a road bed. -F or instance, when traveling the ralls, the disk flanges are lowered ad acent to the inner faces of the rail,'in fact in contact with the inner edges of the tread or bill of the rails, thereby retaining the automobile wheels 1n engagement with the upper surfaces of the treads of the rails. When traveling a road bed, the disk flanges are raised. r

A further object of the invention is the provision of means for yieldably mounting the disk flanges, so as to permit them'toyield, pass overany or rise and fall, in Order to obstruction in their path.

A further object of the invention is "the provision of hanger ;means for the disk ing to and fitting said axles flanges, said means being constructed,'to permit looseness of play, whereby the parts thereof may accommodate"themselves to the.

vibrations of the body of the automobile.

A further object of the invention is the provision of latching means for maintaining the raising and lowering parts of the hanger in their lowered positions.

It is obvious that the outer faces of the disk flanges near. their-marginal edges play againstthe inner edges of the balls or treads of the rails, at points substantially directly under or slightlyto the front or the rear of the main axles of theautomobile, whereby said disks will play against the inner faces of the rims or tires of the automobile, or other vehicle, thereby maintaining the wheels in true positions on the rails.

In practical fields, the details of constructo the body of the automobile.

-tion maynecessitate alterations falling within the scope of what is claimed.

The invention comprises further features and combination of parts, ashereinafter set forth, shown in the drawings, and claimed.

In the drawings: I

Figure 1' is a-View in side elevation of a conventional form of automobile, showing the disk flange attachment applied adjacent to the frontand rear wheels.

Fig. 2 is .a sectional view through the front axle of the automobile, showing the shaft carrying the disks in sections, and the hanger suspended from the chassis of the automobile and theaxle thereof, and illustrating a means forraisiiig and lowering the parts of the hanger.

Fig. 3 1s a rear view of the structure shown in Fig. 2, on line 33 thereof.

Fig. 4 is a detail sectional View of the front axle and theclamp thereon, showing part of the hanger.

Fig. 5 is a detail sectional view through one of the disks, showing the ball bearings.

Referring more especially to the drawings 1 designates the frame or chassis of the automobile, and 2 and 3 the front and rear axles. Suitable clamps 4 and 5 correspondare provided. Carried by and integral with the lower parts of said clamps 4 and 5 are ball sockets 6, for the reception of the ball ends? of the guide rods or shafts 8 and 9. These guide rods or shafts 8 and 9 have their upper ends mounted in bearings of the cross pieces 10 of the chassis or frame of the automobile. In fact thevupper ends of the guide rods 8 and 9 are loosely mounted, so as to permit of sliding movements in the cross pieces, incident to the vibration of the body of the automobile. Retaining plates 11 are se-rured at 12 to the ball sockets so as to retain the balls 7 in their sockets. The retaining plates 11 have openings 13, through which the guide rods or shafts 8 and 9 protrude. These openings 13 are large enough to permit of movements of the rods or shaftsS balls 7 move slightly universally in; their sockets, in order to accommodate themselves It is obvious that guide rods or shafts 8 extend upwardly and rearwardly, and the guide rods or shafts 9 extend upwardly and forwardly. However, should the front wheels of the automobile be sufficiently to the rear the guide rods and 9, as the 8, may, if practicable, be disposed in order to extend upwardly and forwardly. In the general construction of automobiles there is not sufficient frame forwardly of the front wheels to permit the guide rods 8 to extend upwardly and forwardly. It is also obvious that the guide rods or shafts S and 9 are arranged in pairs, one pair forwardly and the other pair rearwardly disposed. Mounted on each uide rod is a slide or block 14:, to which the elongated spaced plates 15 are pivotally connected as at 16. The lower end portions of the plates 15 have vertical slots 17, for the reception of the headed pins 18 of the bearing blocks 19. The heads of the pins 18 retain the plates 15 in place. The upper faces of the bearing blocks 19 have pins 20. The adjacent portions of the upper ends of the plates 15 are integrally connected by the cross bar or plate 21, downwardly from which a pin 22 extends axially toward the pin 20. A coil spring 23 is arranged between the plates 15, and its ends are retained in position by the pins 20 and 22. 1 square axle or shaft 2 1 is mounted in bearings of the blocks 19, and its outer ends terminate in cylindrical portions 25, inclined upwardly and outwardly thereby providing trunnions for the disks 26, there being ball bearings 27. Suitable nuts and washers 28 and 29 retain the disks on. the trunnions. These disks act as wheel retainers, for retaining the tread. services of the tires of automobile wheels on the upper surfaces of the balls of the rails 30, as shown clearly in Figs. 1 and 3, thereby enabling an automobile to travel safely along and upon the rail way rails. It is obvious that by the provision of the slots 17 and the spring means 23, either or both ends of the shaft 24 may yield vertically, thereby permitting the marginal edges of the disks 26 to ride over any obstruction in their path. It is also obvious that the axle is capable of vibrations with relation to the shaft 2 1 and vice versa, incident to the yielding action of the tire. Furthermore, by means of the pivotal connections between the plates 15 and the bearing blocks and the slides 1 1, the parts of the hanger may accommodate themselves to the lateral v-ibrations or strains of the axle. Pivoted at 31 to the inner face of each block or slide 14 is a latch dog 32, under tension of the spring 33. hen the slide 14: is in its lowered position, the hook 3 1 of the dog or latch engages a rib 35 on the underface of the clamp of the wheel axle, thereby retaining the slide 1&- in its lowered position. Mounted in bearings of the frame or chassis of the automobile fore and aft are shafts 36 and 37, on which the drums 38 and 39 are mounted to rotate therewith. Attached to and wound about the drums are forward and rear cables 40 and 11, which are in turn connected at 12 to the latch dogs 32. Also rotatable with the shafts 36 and 37 are worm wheels and 4 1. Mounted in bearings of the frame of the automobile and adj accnt one side of said frame is a longitudinally extending shaft 16, provided with worms 47 and 418, which mesh with the worm wheels 43 and at. A vertical shaft 49 is mounted in bearings 50 of one side of the body of the automobile and its upper end is provided with a crank 51, and its lower end has beveled gear connections 52 and 53 with the shaft 16. It is obvious that when it is desired to permit the automobile to traverse the road bed instead of the rails, the chauffer may operate the crank 51 which in turn will rotate the shaft 46, and impart movement to the shafts 36 and 37 and their drums, thereby winding the cables 10 and ll thereon. The pulling action of the cables will disengage the (logs fromthe flanges 35, and at the same time lift the slides on the guide rods or shafts 8 and 9, consequently elevate the retaining disks 26, and leave the automobile wheels free to travel the road bed. A reverse movement of the crank 51 will unwind the cables and the slides 14 will then lower through the medium of gravitation. When the dogs are disengaged from the flanges, they are limited in their movements by engaging the abutment pins 51.

The invention having been set forth, what is claimed as new and useful is 1. In an attachment for automobiles, the

combination. with the automobile wheels.

adapted to ride balls of rails, of wheel re taining disks therefor, flexible hangers for the disks, guides for the hangers, and means for raising and lowering the hangers on the guides, whereby the disks may be raised and lowered.

2. In an attachment for automobiles, the combination with the automobile wheels adapted to ride balls of rails, of wheel retaining disks therefor, flexible hangers for the disks, guides for the hangers, and means for raising and lowering the hangers on the guides, whereby the disks may be raised and lowered, and means for locking thehangers in their lowered position.

3. In an attachment for automobiles, the combination with'the wheels thereof adapted to ride the balls of railway rails, of retaining disks therefor, hangers, means for mounting the disks yieldably in the hangers, guides for the hangers, and means for raising and lowering the hangers on the guides, whereby the disks may be raised or lowered. 4. In an attachment for automobiles, the combination with the wheels thereof, of retaining disks therefor to hold the wheels in true position upon the balls of railway rails, flexible hangers, guides therefor, means for mounting the disks yieldably in the hangers, means for raising and lowering the hangers may be raised or lowered, and means for locking the hangers in their lowered po sition.

5. In an attachment for automobiles and other Wheeled vehicles, the combination with the Wheels thereof adapted to ride the balls of railway rails, of Wheel retaining disks playing adjacent the inner surfaces of the tires or rims of the Wheels and the inner edges of the balls of the rails, for retaining the Wheels in true position on the balls of the rails, and means for suspending the retaining disks from the main axles of the automobile or other Wheeled vehicle.

In testimony whereof I have signed my name to this specification in the presence oftWo subscribing Witnesses.

MAT ROY THOMPSON. Witnesses v y B. A. YOUNG, W. S. Sco'r'r. 

